The present invention relates to outboard motors, and more particularly to a latching device used to hold a deck mounted trolling motor unit in its retracted position on the boat deck.
In bass fishing and the like, a trolling motor unit is often employed by a fisherman to vary slowly maneuver, position, and hold the watercraft or boat in proper positioning for casting. Generally the trolling motor unit is mounted to a horizontal deck at the forward end of the watercraft. The mounting includes a pivotal mount assembly to provide movement between an operating or run position wherein the motor unit depends fro the front of the boat for propulsion of the boat, and a retracted position wherein the trolling motor unit is raised from its operating position and placed in a transport position on the deck. A separate high powered outboard motor or stern drive is generally employed for rapid propulsion of the boat to and from the fishing location area.
The trolling motor unit will normally include a depending tube or pipe-like support mounted in a swivel bracket. The tube or pipe-like support terminates at the lower end in a lower unit within which a small electric motor is housed for direct driving of the propeller. The upper end of the support tube includes a steering mechanism for angular positioning of the lower unit for steering of the watercraft. The propeller speed is controlled by varying the energization of the electric motor. The steering and speed controls are normally switch controls located within the boat coupled by suitable lines and cables to the motor and to the support tube.
A variety of pivotal mount assemblies for small outboards such as trolling motor units are disclosed in the prior art. One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,228 and Reissue No. 28,176 to Horton in which two unequal length arms are pivotally attached to a bracket mounted on the boat deck. Other mounting arrangements are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,874,318 to Langley, 3,870,258 to Shimankas et al, 3,948,472 to Metcalf, 3,999,500 to Friedal et al, and 4,410,161 to Booty.
Prior pivotal mount assemblies such as those noted above have also utilized various devices for holding the trolling motor unit in its retracted position on the deck. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,500 a tie-down strap is provided to secure the unit to a mounting bracket. The strap is typically a resilient rubber-like strap with one end fixed to one side of the bracket and of sufficient length to loop over the trolling motor to be releasably connected to the opposite side of the bracket to hold the trolling motor in its transport or retracted position. Another latching device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,410,161, and includes a fold-down support member and a flexible clamp arm which is pivotally attached to the support member. The clamp arm has a hook at its outer end to snap over a notch formed in the support member to lock the support tube of the trolling motor unit in its retracted position.